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Care Plans and Statutory Reviewsfor Children and Families

When working with children and their families, Birmingham City Council aims to support families to bring up their children themselves, and works in partnership with parents and other carers. Where the child's interests require us to look after them, we assist the family to keep in contact unless this is harmful for the child.

If the council is looking after a child, the law says that there must be a clear plan about how that child is looked after. This is a written document called a care plan. It must include arrangements for the child's:

Placement

Health

Education

Race

Religion and culture

Contact with family and friends

The following people are involved in creating the care plan:

the child / young person;

their parents or carers; and

the child's social worker.

A care plan should be written before a child comes into care, but in an emergency it will be done as soon as possible afterwards.

Statutory Reviews
Care plans have to be reviewed and changed as necessary. There is a legal duty to do this and it is called a statutory review:

The first review is within four weeks of the child being looked after.

The second review will be within three months of the first.

After that they will be on a six monthly basis until the child is no longer looked after.

Care planning is seen as appropriate when a child or young person is:

looked after, subject to a care order ;

accommodated by the local authority under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989 at the request of the child or parent where no other person is able to provide suitable accommodation and care.